John Size and Caspar Fownes have edged away at the top of the Hong Kong trainers’ championship, with two wins each midweek while Tony Cruz and John Moore were winless, and it looks increasingly like these will be the two to fight over this year’s title with only three wins between them and every victory crucial.
Fownes appears to have kept back more of his stock for a late challenge and his seven runners for Sunday at Sha Tin include an interesting first starter by Northern Meteor, Southchina Command, and lightly-raced horses in Bunker Shot, Family Interests, Lucky Double Eight and Victory Hero, who all have something left to give this season and look real chances.
On the flipside, Fownes will back up Flying Keeper from a good run last weekend, with the iron six-year-old having his 21st start of the season.
Size won midweek with an impressive new horse, Comeback Kid, but he may not be seen again this season and it’s back to the usual suspects on the weekend.
Size has just six runners across five races, headed by impressive last start winner Wonderful Moments and Sichuan Vigour, who give the trainer a powerful hand in the tenth. He also has chances with Swift Shadow (race eight), Tarzan I Am (race nine) and Sichuan Exec (race eleven).
Jockey licences were announced on Thursday for the 2014-15 season in Hong Kong, with most of the current riders returning and Sydney-based Christian Reith has been given a half-season licence.
As expected, Tommy Berry and Hugh Bowman did not apply, so Reith will have to fly the Australian flag in Hong Kong with champion-in-waiting Zac Purton and Brett Prebble.
The new jockey name will be Andrea Atzeni, a young Italian who finished second in Epsom Derby in England where he has recently been based.
By Nathan Mody
